It's Not A Game
by KittenFair
Summary: After having spent entirely too many hours playing Crisis Core, Tony decides that he hates the way things turn out and sets up the ultimate self-insert fantasy via virtual reality. Unfortunately, things are a lot more real than he planned.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Chapter updated 4/4/17

* * *

Generally, when someone said 'Tony Stark is a player' they didn't mean _actual games,_ but if you thought he spent as much time with technology as he did without playing _something_ along the way, you were severely underestimating the allure of video games. Yeah, he was a player. But he was a _gamer,_ too. And while he wouldn't admit it immediately, he had a long lasting love of the chunky pixelated forms that had been the JRPG revolution in the late nineties, including _Final Fantasy VII_.

(The irony that he would one day go on to fight a pretty boy alien with a god complex and major family issues was not lost on him.)

Sure, there were a lot of issues with the _Final Fantasy_ franchise - he would never get over the abuse of the word _Final_ \- but overall they were a guilty pleasure that never got old. When _Advent Children_ came out, you bet he watched it - it was practically a love letter to the original game, problems with the Turks aside. And _Crisis Core_? He didn't even wait for the North American release, he'd had a copy shipped in from Japan.

He hadn't expected to love it as much as he did.

When he'd played the game for the first time in 2007, even knowing that of course Sephiroth was going to fall and Zack would die, he'd been sucker punched by the ending. Puns aside, it wasn't _fair._ And he'd never expected to go and get attached to the others - Angeal was a little righteous and hypocritical for his tastes, but _Genesis._ Man, there was a train wreck of a man he really, really felt for. And there'd been so many missed chances to make him _so much more._ 'I can do better' was almost an automatic thought. And with a remake of the original game rumored to be coming up… he'd come back to the thought, again.

It was a side project, he was still incredibly busy especially with Bruce around and the cleanup after Loki and the Chitauri invasion… there was always so much to _do _these days, but he made time for it. He stripped the models from the original game and Crisis Core to start, throwing together the beginnings of some _real_ AIs to fill in for the main characters. It started off as sheer indulgence and really didn't get any deeper than that, but the project continued to get more and more detailed as time went on, until he finally had to turn it over to Jarvis.

A few months later when he checked in, he had a full virtual simulation of Gaia ready to be tested, the gaps left from canon filled in by Jarvis. Bruce, bless him, was just interested enough in the mechanics of it to come along for the maiden run.

"So, where are we coming out?"

"I've got it programmed to interrupt at the _perfect_ moment - where it all started." Tony flashed him a grin. "You'll see."

* * *

"_ENOUGH!_"

Angeal was used to being the mediator between his friends, but this was ridiculous. Genesis had been increasingly on edge lately and _no one_ could push his buttons like Sephiroth. Still, they'd never let it go this far, and enough was enough.

There was genuine surprise in Sephiroth's voice when blades clashed. "_Angeal…_"

He didn't miss the sudden push at his back, and realized that Sephiroth hadn't checked his blow, Masamune clanging against his hilt. Somewhere between shocked and outraged himself, he glared back at him.

"Out of my _way!_"

Far too late, he heard the crackle of energy in Genesis' hand, saw him surging forward. Everything slowed for a moment as he pushed forward. Rapier was fine, it was a brilliantly forged blade, but the SI blade he was carrying _snapped._ Wide-eyed, they watched as it spun in the air towards Genesis and-

A low whine filled the air a moment before the spinning blade was interrupted, shot back over Angeal's shoulder and then again for good measure.

Stunned, the three SOLDIERs turned to face the source, red and gold metal forming a human shape - no, no a suit of armor. The faceplate lifted and revealed a man with a bright, pleased smile. "_Awesome._ Is my timing perfect or what?"

Whatever differences the trio may have had a moment ago fell to the wayside as they shifted, the runes on Genesis' blade gleaming again as Sephiroth took a single step to the side, nodachi at the ready. SI utterly ruined, Angeal slowly pulled his Buster. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

"Tony Stark, long story - really long, actually, you're not science-y types - but basically Gen there is my favorite and I really, really just could not let things end this way." He tilted his head. "Can you not point those at me? I don't like having weapons pointed at me."

Behind him, there was a burst of nervous laughter, another man squinting at them behind his glasses. "This is your perfect moment? Oh god… this is _such_ a bad idea."

None of the swords lowered, three sets of glowing eyes narrowing a little at the two men. "Is the recording off?"

"Of course it's off," Genesis muttered. None of them liked the idea of their sparring for _fun_ being on record. "I suggest you answer the question. And my name is _Genesis,_ or Commander Rhapsodos to strange men who intrude on private interactions with my comrades."

"Wow, let's try saying 'friends' please? Comrades sounds rude."

"Tony…"

"Not now, give me a second here." The armored man - Tony Stark, as he'd identified himself - tapped at the side of his helmet. "Jarvis? You come through okay, buddy?"

Enhanced hearing could very faintly detect an accented voice. "_It seems I've made the transition, Sir, but I'm afraid I am no longer in connection with the tower._"

"Huh… might need a little more juice, we'll work it out okay? Okay. You three, no more pointy things, you're making Bruce nervous. That's a bad idea."

"This is _all_ a bad idea." The other man sighed, running a hand back through his hair. "Look, ah… guys. I'm sorry, this is… this is really not thought through as much as I wish it was. We can discuss this civilly, right? But just, lowering them a little would be great."

Angeal tilted his head a little, lowering the Buster Sword until the tip touched the floor. "Your eyes…"

"Hn." Sephiroth didn't lower Masamune, merely holding it off to the side a little. "I suggest the two of you talk quickly. You would be surprised how familiar I am with science."

"Less surprised than you think, actually." Still, Tony relaxed his own stance some. "Okay, here's the deal. I was told a possible future for you guys. And you all die, which is not okay. Well, okay, two of you get better, but one of you keeps dying and it's just nasty. So I'd like to fix that."

Sephiroth merely arched a brow. "Assuming we believed you-"

"We don't," Genesis interrupted.

"- proof is required. And there is also the fact that you broke in here." Sephiroth was unphased by the interruption, green eyes fixed on Tony.

"Okay first I'm just gonna point out the hypocrisy there because you guys _literally sneak in here._" Tony shook his head. "Not what I expected, very cool to hear. Acting your age is nice. But okay, a little proof right now. That sorry little toothpick of a sword Angeal there was using - and really? _Really,_ two swords? I get you're cheap, but that's like… it's a _blade._ It is _made to use._ Kinda _dishonorable_ not to let it serve its purpose."

Genesis startled into a laugh, and there might have been a fleeting twitch to Sephiroth's lips at the sound Angeal made. But Tony wasn't done.

"- so that shard I shot off? It would have jammed into Genesis' shoulder and cut deep. And while he would have called it a scrape and walked off quoting _Loveless -_ which is fantastic for drama very nice exit - the fact is that Hollander is an idiot and it would have caused major issues. Like, possibly kill you but definitely destroy your mind and wreck the next few years of your life issues." His eyes were more serious now, as were the three SOLDIERs. There was too much there to just shrug off. Whether he was right about the eventual result, the fact was that he knew things he shouldn't have.

"You're going to have to come with us."

Tony grinned. "Excellent!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** CH1 was rewritten on 4/4/17 to give better context to the fic, I suggest rereading it.

* * *

The SOLDIERs led them out through the abandoned SOLDIER floor, past closed doors that Tony really wanted to poke his head into, but there would be time later. Hard to tell, but he figured it had to be late if the trio always snuck in 'when the Seconds were out' - Zack sure hadn't seemed to have any set schedule when he'd played through Crisis Core, so some sort of reference to curfew would make the most sense.

He had to sigh when Sephiroth decided to take them to the _stairs,_ though. He'd forgotten about those for a minute; never did take them but once to see the dialogue on the original. "Man, I'd forgotten about all these stairs, geez. Good job otherwise though, huh Bruce?"

"Maybe a little too good," he muttered, a little less than enthused. "How far is it to… wherever we're going, anyway?"

"My apartment, in another few flights," Sephiroth answered, not looking back from his lead. Genesis and Angeal had taken the back. "I suspect we will require privacy for this conversation."

"Yeah, probably a good idea. Plus, it'll take a while," Tony said. It'd be nice to sit down, maybe get the armor off once the three of them calmed down. Not that Jarvis didn't know to pause, but better to be safe than sorry if the connection back to the Tower was glitching. "Looking forward to seeing what generates."

He hadn't checked everything Jarvis had come up with, after all, so the fact that he even _had_ an apartment to go to was a surprise.

A swipe of a keycard let them into a large living space, minimally designed with a sort of sleek, modern decor - not strictly military, but still very utilitarian. He thought it fit.

Genesis brushed past them in a whisper of leather without comment, going further into what he was guessing was the kitchen, from a glimpse of cabinets and counter top.

"Coffee?" Sephiroth said.

"It's too late to deal with this without coffee," Genesis said.

"A man after my own heart," Tony said, watching Sephiroth settle before urging Bruce over to one of the couches. He figured the other would do fine for Genesis and Angeal. "It's a nice place you've got here. Very modern."

Sephiroth merely arched a brow, settling back into his seat and watching them both with green eyes even more intense than the games had managed, the SOLDIER glow more prominent than he'd expected. "Once he returns, you will explain yourself, from the beginning."

"Yessir, General." Tony gave him a little salute, grinning, still a little giddy about being there with them.

Angeal finally sat, having put his sword somewhere while they weren't looking, and oddly fixed on Bruce a moment with that deep frown of his. "Would you like some water?"

Bruce startled a little, giving a weak laugh. "Yeah, that'd… that'd be great. Coffee is probably not a great idea right now."

"Coffee is _always_ a great idea," Tony disagreed, patting his shoulder. He'd loosen up soon enough.

Apparently there were some manners programmed into Genesis, because when he came back it was with _four_ mugs on a tray with a small carafe, a pitcher of what was probably creamer, and a sugar bowl. Unexpectedly quaint, he'd have pegged that more for Angeal.

Sephiroth apparently took his black, just settling back with the black mug printed with the _Silver Elite_ logo in white. Angeal's was seemingly plain until he tipped it up for a drink, what looked like a pawprint done in sharpie on the bottom almost making Tony laugh. Genesis' was a touch of genius that fit him perfectly, white with blocky red print - _those that play with fire have fun. _He had to give Jarvis kudos for the details, though watching him load up on sugar was a little less believable, personally.

His own mug was plain black, and he raised it to breathe in the scent, grinning at how rich the aroma was. Of course, it wouldn't be _really_ filling him up, but his brain would accept the sensory input and it smelled good.

"So." Genesis was apparently done doctoring his coffee, taking a drink with a sigh. "Do elaborate on that 'long story' of yours."

"Always did peg you for a ringleader type," Tony said, taking a sip of his coffee and coughing at how _strong_ it was. He'd had weaker espresso. "_Wow,_ okay yeah. SOLDIER grade. Very clever. Gonna need some cream with that."

"Enhanced metabolisms," Sephiroth said, though he didn't bother to elaborate, watching him expectantly.

Tony shifted a little, nodding. "So, right. This started like, at least a couple years before you guys were born, with Professor Gast, canon was never really clear on when that was. He found what he _thought_ was an Ancient, on the Northern Continent. Spoilers, it wasn't. But he thought it was, so he gets this idea into his head that hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could tap into the powers of the Ancients, we meaning the human race. And I guess that's where the experiments must have started. Back then, Hojo and Hollander were both working under him, probably undergrads, which is just… such a thought. Anyway, they named this 'Ancient' Jenova - yeah, see, I see that look. Not your mom, Seph."

"_Sephiroth_," he corrected immediately, eyes narrowing.

"Right, sorry. _Sephiroth,_" Tony repeated, somehow not surprised that he'd object to it. Always did seem the strict sort. "So. Jenova is… you know what, we'll come back to Jenova. But she's not an Ancient, which is the bigger part, since they thought she was. And they did these experiments, hugely unethical but that's ShinRa for you, on _babies._ Like, prenatal stuff. Hojo had -"

"Back up," Angeal said, holding up a hand. "You're making some huge accusations without any proof."

"And I haven't even gotten to the juicy stuff yet," Tony said. "But yeah, okay, kinda forgot you're always the one giving people a chance. Makes sense, but seriously, I don't know how you didn't see they're both hacks. I mean, Hojo is kind've more together but Hollander… he wears _sandals._ In the _lab. _That's a safety violation right there."

"_That's _your problem?" Bruce muttered.

"Well, we didn't get to the other stuff yet," he said. "Which we kind've need to, and then I can hack the system for proof."

"We'll wait a little longer," Genesis said. "This history lesson supposedly has some personal relevance to the three of us."

"Look, if it goes bad, we'll try again," Tony said, patting Bruce's arm lightly. "Okay, so, we'll try it blunt the first time. Those babies they messed with? Were you three."

"_Tony_." Bruce groaned.

"It's just take one!" Tony insisted; if this went badly, well, he'd have Jarvis pull them out and they'd try it again. "I mean, it's not like you were literal test tube babies, you're human and all, just enhanced - which you already knew. Hell, two of you were voluntarily signed up for it. I mean, you'd already been messed with, but not knowing that you agreed to be messed with, so you can't complain quite so much. Sephiroth's the one that got the raw deal here, but I really think it shouldn't be a huge surprise. I mean, Hojo kinda raised you. In the lab."

"Technically I was a ward of ShinRa," Sephiroth said slowly, frowning. "You seem very informed about things you still haven't given proof for, regardless of how plausible parts of it may be."

"_I_ want proof," Genesis said.

"Yeah, sure. Can you get me a laptop? I mean, Jarvis and I could just hack the system, but it's more fun this way." Tony grinned. He wanted to see just what kind of details he could pull up, like unlocking a puzzle. What combination of words would be enough to get him to his first objective - their trust, or at least belief?

"You want access to a laptop now." Sephiroth arched a brow at him. "For what?"

"To hack the Science Department and prove this stuff to you guys, obviously." Tony shrugged. "Look, when have you _ever_ gotten a straight answer from Hojo, huh? You've got to be curious. You know you're different, but you don't know why, or how. I'm offering you those answers on a silver platter. You've got nothing to lose."

"Because letting an unknown trespasser have access to Sephiroth's personal computer is clearly the sane thing to do," Genesis said dryly, shaking his head. "We should call the Turks."

"_Whoa, _whoa, that's unnecessary," he objected immediately. _That_ was not in the plans. He didn't even like dealing with _SHIELD,_ the last thing he wanted to do was deal with the Turks before he'd gotten the SOLDIERs on his side. "Completely unnecessary. Besides, if you do that, you have to own up to sneaking into the training room after hours with the cameras off. And then smuggling me up here instead of calling them to begin with. _And_, you won't get answers. Answers you _want._"

Genesis glanced at Sephiroth, arching a brow, and damn that was some fine nuance between the two AIs. "Hacking the _Science Department?_ Sephiroth…"

"Too risky," Angeal agreed.

"Middle ground, then." Sephiroth reached into his jacket, pulling out his PHS.

"Wait, wait, wait. Who are you calling?" Tony stood up, not sure what he'd do. "Sephiroth-"

"My apologies for calling so late, Veld, but I have some questions." Sephiroth smiled thinly, almost that little _smirk_ of his as he met Tony's eyes, holding his gaze. "Regarding the Jenova Project. Perhaps you could meet me in my apartment and we could discuss it?"

"Veld? Who the hell - wait, wait, _Jarvis?_ Jarvis tell me Veld isn't who I think he is," Tony demanded.

_**Veld is the name of the Director of the Turks during Before Crisis, and therefore would have been the director during this particular section of Crisis Core, sir,**_ Jarvis reported.

"Okay yeah no, no Turks, nothing from Before Crisis. Jarvis, abort simulation," Tony said. "Jarvis, abort the simulation _now_."

_**Sir, I am afraid this is not an available option.**_

Tony froze. "What? What do you mean it's not an option? Get into the guts of it and shut it down."

_**I am unable to find any interface to connect to, including my servers. It appears that we have lost connection to the simulation.**_

"That's impossible, we're right in the middle of it!" He insisted, putting down his faceplate to engage the HUD. "Show me what we've got."

"Tony…" Bruce rose slowly, watching Sephiroth end the call with a hard, pleased smile that didn't bode well at all. He had a sudden, terrible feeling in his gut.

_**Sir, there **_**is **_**nothing to connect to.**_

"But…" It was like ice water down his spine, the sudden realization as he glanced at Bruce.

"Tony… I don't think we're in a simulation anymore."

* * *

**A/N:** Not sure where this is going, feel free to offer up ideas and thoughts in the comments. Inspiration would definitely make me more likely to get out another chapter sooner.


	3. Chapter 3

_The Jenova Project._

Veld hadn't liked the sound of it when Vincent had first told him about it back in the day, but back then he'd just been a kid - a rookie Turk with no real say in anything unless his mentor backed him up. Even then, there was nothing Vincent could do about the project. To this day, he strongly suspected his partner had died trying, but whatever had really gone down would remain a mystery. Still, he knew enough.

And he knew that even Hojo had never intended for the boys to find out. So to get a call from Sephiroth out of the blue, late at night, _asking_ about it? Yeah, he'd go talk to him. He'd talk until he was hoarse if that's what it took to contain the pending _disaster_ he could feel coming on.

He was half tempted to call Hojo, but he knew how Sephiroth felt about him and frankly he didn't trust the older man not to make things worse. Not until he knew how much Sephiroth knew, accurately or otherwise, and _where_ he'd found this information. When he got his hands on the leak -

The chime of the elevators interrupted his thoughts and he swiped his card, heading for the apartment Sephiroth called home. A swift knock and he waited, resisting the urge to type in his override and let himself in. Until he knew more about what Sephiroth knew and how he was taking it, he couldn't afford to be too abrupt with anything. This called for a delicacy that bordered on _gentle. _All he could hope was their history would be in his favor. Sephiroth had come to _him_ with this. It had to count for something.

Sephiroth opened the door, expression smoothed to the damned neutrality that he'd honed far too young. "Veld."

"Sephiroth." He waited a beat until the younger man stepped aside, coming into his apartment and trying not to tense when he saw three more people there. Genesis and Angeal were an unfortunate given, of course he'd have gone to his best friends with the information. The other was unfamiliar, a brunet he'd place somewhere in his forties who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, standing beside some sort of crimson and gold robot. The man gave him a quick, nervous look over his shoulder before looking pointedly away from the rest of them. If this was the leak, he damn well should be nervous. "Introduce me to your guest."

"Guests," Sephiroth corrected, walking back around to his chair. "We're just getting acquainted."

_Plural?_ His eyes went to what he had thought was a robot, reevaluating as it turned and the face of it lifted off, revealing a human underneath. "Interesting."

"Isn't it just." Genesis' tone said _interesting_ in the same way, like he'd like a piece of the guy himself. The redhead had always been the quickest tempered of the three of them, though, and quickest to settle back down.

A better gauge for the pressure building up would be Angeal, since Sephiroth had locked down his tells tighter than the President's personal bank account. He looked… concerned, but not angry. A little upset, but reserving judgment. He even managed a small, tight smile when they met eyes. "Director."

"Commander." Veld nodded slightly, coming over and stopping a couple feet away to look at the pair, the first of the two reluctantly turning to face him. "I assume you're aware of who I am."

"Yeah, that is not actually news." The armored man shifted slightly. "So, I'm Tony Stark. This is Bruce Banner. We uh… you are probably not happy with us. And I get that. I made a miscalculation. But I am absolutely ready to make up for it."

"So the Jenova Project is real." It was a statement, Sephiroth reading something into his stance far too quickly.

"It exists, but I don't know how much of what he told you is correct," Veld pointed out mildly. "So why don't you tell me what you told them, Mr. Stark, and we'll see just what needs to be done here."

"Wow, okay I was not expecting you to want me to tell them things," Tony said.

"Just repeat whatever you've already told them," Veld said. "I'll stop you where necessary."

"Right… okay so…" He shifted again, turning and stepping back until he could keep an eye on both Sephiroth and Veld, the other two Firsts just in his peripheral vision. "The Jenova Project was started by Professor Gast some… thirty years ago, maybe? I'm not clear on the dates. But he found what he thought was an Ancient -"

"_Thought?_" Veld interrupted.

"Yeaaah, she's actually not. She's from space," Tony said. "Which Hojo could back up, if he felt like it."

"You got this information from Hojo?" Sephiroth asked.

Tony hesitated, making a so-so gesture. "That's… not quite how I'd describe it. But kinda, sure."

"Clarify," Veld said. If this was from Hojo being careless…

"Okay look this is going to sound really, really crazy," Tony said. "Like, it sounds insane to _me,_ okay, and I'm living it."

"You might be surprised," Veld said, gesturing for him to continue.

"Yeah okay. Look… I'm not from… here." Tony waved expansively, frowning. "Not just Midgar. I'm not from this _planet._"

Veld arched a brow. "Alright, that's a new one."

"Yeah. See, I was not supposed to be… like this. This is not what was supposed to happen, I was at home, there was…" He stopped himself, resting a hand on his helmet for a moment. "Back home, there's these games. About you guys. And I have played them, so I _know these things._ Extensive things that haven't happened yet. That won't happen the same way, because we're here screwing with your timeline. Which, I mean, that could be really great but-"

"That's ridiculous," Genesis interrupted.

"Look, I get it, okay, I get how it sounds. I do," Tony said. "And I can't make you believe me. But you don't need to believe the how of it, not right now. What's important is that I _know things,_ right? So we'll just… talk this out. And that part can come later."

"I'd like to know a little bit more about the project," Angeal admitted quietly. "If this is real, if we were really…"

"Hey, _hey,_ no, look what they did to you guys… it was wrong, it was tremendously unethical and _wrong,_ but that doesn't have to change things as much as you're thinking," Tony said. "I mean, I can't tell you not to be upset, you deserve that. This is upsetting. But you're still… you still have the lives you lived, okay? What happened to you doesn't have to define who you are."

Privately, Veld couldn't help but agree, but it was clear that damage had been done. How much remained to be seen. All he could do was try and control any fallout. "Go ahead and continue, Mr. Stark. You were speaking about Jenova."

"Right… okay so, we'll come back to what, exactly, Jenova is because I didn't go over that yet," Tony said. "The Jenova Project, as far as I can tell, was trying to 'awaken' the abilities the Ancients had in humans. Gast might have even just wanted to better the human race, but the President was hoping it would lead to someone who could find him the Promised Land. When that didn't pan out, I guess, is where he decided to make SOLDIER so he'd have an army to search the world instead."

It wasn't far from the truth as Veld knew it, and he frowned slightly, nodding for him to continue.

"Right, so what else did I say? Ah, the project was split into two parts, the part that Hojo and Lucrecia did, and the part that Hollander and Gillian did." His smile was tight, apologetic, and nearly became a wince as he looked at Angeal. "Yeah, I know, it's shitty. They worked on what would become you guys… Angeal and Genesis didn't show any enhancements right away, they seemed like normal kids, so they were released to their parents to live normal lives. Sephiroth… didn't have that luck."

"It's always been obvious that I'm… unique," Sephiroth agreed quietly.

"Yeah, that's a word for it," Tony muttered, sighing. "Anyway, that's as far as I got because they wouldn't let me hack the Science Department and called you instead. Which is when I figured out that this was not the simulation I thought it was."

"How much of that was true?" Angeal asked, looking to Veld.

"All of it, assuming he's correct about Jenova not being an Ancient. That never came up," Veld said.

"Well yeah, if Hojo had admitted to that too early, the project would have been shut down," Tony pointed out. "And his work is more important to him than the truth."

"I will say your assessment of the Professor seems accurate," Sephiroth said.

"But these are all things you could know if you _had_ been able to hack the Science Department," Genesis said.

"Agreed. It's proof you know things you shouldn't, but nothing more," Veld said.

"Right, ah… hm. _Well._" He was silent a moment, debating. "Jarvis? Do you have _any_ footage accessible?"

_**I believe you still have the UMD for Crisis Core on your person, Sir, but beyond that I'm afraid that I do not have anything else,**_ a disembodied voice said.

"Who's Jarvis?" Genesis asked.

"Jarvis is a… self-learning artificial intelligence," Tony said slowly. "He helps me with… all sorts of things, and he's my backup in the armor."

"I find it interesting that you're wearing armor when you believed this was a harmless simulation you could _pause,_" Genesis said.

"Yeah, well, you remember when we met? I needed a way to stop that blade, and I sure as hell wasn't going to get between you guys personally," Tony said. "I'm a genius, not a super soldier. The simulation wouldn't kill me, but it would have been unpleasant. And since it turned out that it _wasn't_ a simulation, I think it was even more important that I not get between you guys without my suit."

"What happened?" Veld looked to Sephiroth, frowning when the younger man wouldn't hold his gaze. "Sephiroth."

"Things got out of hand," he said quietly.

"Ya think?" Tony shook his head. "Look, you saw the trajectory of that blade. It would have injured Genesis, _badly,_ if I hadn't stopped it."

Veld arched a brow, wanting more information than that.

"I had a standard issue sword I was using, and it broke," Angeal said. "The piece _was_ going towards Genesis, until he shot it out of the way."

Veld sighed quietly, processing that, and the somber air the three of them had taken on. They'd fought, then. He wondered how bad it had gotten.

Sephiroth cleared his throat, drawing attention before he could comment. "If what he's said is true about the Jenova Project… then we need to consider the rest of what he said."

"I thought that was everything?" Veld glanced sharply at Tony.

"Uhm… maybe? Yes? No?" Tony glanced at Sephiroth, frowning a little.

"You said you were here to change the future," Sephiroth prompted.

Tony winced, nodding slightly. "Yeah, uh… geez. Yeah. That… that needs done."

"And just what do you think happens, Mr. Stark?" Veld asked.

Tony sighed heavily, offering a mirthless smile. "Everybody dies."


	4. Chapter 4

Tony was silent a moment, watching the way Veld reacted. The man didn't give much of a tell, but hell, he'd been actively working on getting to know Natasha Romanov, on top of dealing with Nick Fury - he had practice with the 'unreadable badass' type.

The thought that Fury and Veld would probably get along was one he didn't entertain for long.

"See, the thing is, Hollander screwed up," Tony finally said. "And I don't mean like, he misfiled some samples or something. The two of you should have been… well, more like Sephiroth is, probably, for a safe outcome. He's stable, genetically, if probably prone to some mental stuff. His parents were both sort've… predisposed to some things. But it's not gonna kill him, which is actually a worry for the other two."

Sephiroth's expression had turned momentarily uncertain, something flashing through those strange green eyes that he never expressed, frowning deeply instead as Tony continued. "You're suggesting that Genesis and Angeal are genetically unstable."

"Fundamentally unstable on a genetic level, I'm flat out saying it," Tony said. "In the game, it leads to what's called degradation which sounds like it works a lot like cancer; basically, the foreign cells from Jenova started up and attacking the rest of Genesis' cells. Now, it _said_ that it was set off by the accident I prevented back in the VR room, but I've always had a theory that it was actually something that probably started when you got to higher ranks. It depends on what's in those First Class treatments, I guess."

"I've been perfectly healthy," Genesis said, scowling. "I haven't been sick since I was a cadet."

"And if there was something wrong, I'd think Hollander would have been the first one to say," Angeal pointed out.

"No, see that's where you're wrong. Hollander wouldn't say a god damn thing until it benefits him," Tony said. "Because Hollander cares about Hollander, and that's about it. And right now? You two are the only reason he has _any_ authority at all. Because he's responsible for you two. If something goes wrong, he's gonna keep it quiet as long as he can to keep what little power he's got. Or try to twist it to his advantage, which was a whole other clusterfuck."

"Alright, I'll bite. What did he do, then," Genesis said. "In your _game_."

Tony arched a brow at the tone, but really couldn't argue it. This _still_ sounded insane, and he knew it was true. "You're going to be deployed to Wutai in the area of Fort Tamblin in… what month is this? You'll be deployed in September, whenever that is. In the game, you go MIA. You're degrading and Hollander used that as leverage, presumably, to talk you into it."

"…are you implying - I'm sorry, you're _stating_ that I would _defect?_" Genesis said, looking rather incredulous. "For _Hollander?_"

"Well, I mean it always seemed a little dicey to me, too, but people do some crazy things when they think they're going to die," Tony said honestly. "And there were some… things… that he probably played off of. And playing up how ShinRa had 'betrayed' you by allowing him to do what he did."

"That makes no sense," Genesis said. "It's _his fault. _Assuming you're right about all this, and I'm not even sure I believe that, this… degradation would be _Hollander's_ fault. There's no reason to work with him; if he messed it up to start with, he's not going to be able to _fix_ it."

"Look, I'm not gonna lie, there was some really questionable lack of character development going on in that game, alright? They did not do you justice," Tony said. "But that's what happened in it, and I am _thrilled_ that is not something you would do, absolutely _thrilled._ That would make things so much harder."

"He's right about the deployment, at least," Sephiroth said after a moment, unexpected support and a thoughtful expression. "Lazard mentioned sending you back to finish things."

"Hmph." Genesis was still giving him a blatantly skeptical look, and he still couldn't blame him. This was all bordering on surreal. "Still information you could know from being here."

"Alright, fine, you know what? It doesn't matter _how_ I know this. The point is that I know these things, _important_ things that you can't afford to ignore. This is your _life,_ Genesis," Tony said. "This could kill you. Can you afford to ignore me? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, false alarm, maybe wasted a little time looking into it. But if I'm _right_, this is a matter of life or death for you."

"I believe there's an additional complication, if you're right," Sephiroth said. "_If_ you're right, he's already ill. And the one person who would know has said _nothing._"

"Right, I get that." Tony sighed. "And Hollander is as trustworthy as a broken ladder, so going to him isn't going to work. But there's got to be a way to look into this. Hell, if you let me look at this stuff long enough, I'd figure it out myself."

"That requires trust you haven't earned," Veld said.

Tony winced. "Right, yeah. Look… I can show you the game, I can make something to play it for you if I have access to the machining parts. Or hell, I can draw up the schematics and you can give them to Reeve. He's a friend of yours, right?"

Veld was silent a moment, in a way that suggested a yes. "I would prefer to keep this as quiet as possible, Mr. Stark. You've made some very heavy accusations with minimal proof. All we can say for certain is you _are_ in possession of extensive, classified information. The how of it, however, is up for debate. As is your true motivation."

"Right, got it." Tony considered that, mind working rapidly. "Geez, okay. What else can I tell you? There's not a lot that's happened yet that's not history, and that's pretty spotty, since it came from - _oh._"

Oh, now that was a twist. Tony looked at Veld, smiling tightly. He had something alright. Something that ought to at least get the head of the Turks to start taking him more seriously.

"Alright, history lesson. Let's go back a ways, to the late seventies. When your partner disappeared." There was just a tiny tell of surprise, the slightest widening of those dark eyes, but it was enough. _I've got your attention now... _"Vincent Valentine was reported killed in action, by Hojo, I would assume. Probably seemed pretty questionable, didn't it? A man of his caliber dying out there, sketchy details and no body to bury. But the Science Department's got all the power, even back then, and if Gast was willing to cover it up there was nothing you could do, was there?"

Veld's lips pursed to a thin line, and there was the distinct sense of _danger_ in the look he was giving him. "Get to your point, Stark."

A wound that hadn't healed, then. Not normally something you'd _want_ to poke at, but desperate times and all that. He needed that emotional connection, to make this work. "My point, Director, is that Hollander's not the only liar around here. Vincent may have died, but he's not dead now."

Tony paused, heart skipping a beat at the tension radiating off Veld, the air of someone ready to take him out if he didn't like what he heard. Yeah, he'd get on with Fury _far_ too well. He was staring at him like he could pry the information out of him by sheer will. "_What?_"

"Your partner is alive," Tony said softly, "and I know where he is."


	5. Chapter 5

It was easy to watch Tony when he talked, _far_ too easy - the man was a showman, incredibly dynamic despite the increasingly crazy sounding story he was actually telling. But Sephiroth had locked his gaze on Veld, discreetly most of the time lest he set off any reflexive instinct to hide the few tells he had.

While Hojo was unquestionably the most constant figure in his life growing up, there had been another nearly as constant - Veld himself. And while in retrospect it had likely started as a Turk's professional interest, the fact was that Veld had been a young father at the time, and those feelings bled over whenever he was watching Sephiroth. Not that he'd known that that was the difference, at the time, but looking back… if he'd had to pick a father figure, he'd had to have picked Veld. And though others often placed him as particularly hard to read, it was a skill Sephiroth had learned young and polished as time went on.

So when Veld went tense and still, he saw more than wariness. There was pain, nerves, a wary hope that _hurt_ to have but he couldn't seem to help himself. Vincent Valentine was a name he'd heard many times growing up, when Veld could be coaxed to tell stories, and there was always fondness there. Exasperation sometimes, _judgment_ sometimes, but always fondness underneath it all for the man who had brought him into the organization that had become his family. A man whose death had haunted him for years.

A death that Tony was saying _wasn't permanent._ Vincent was alive.

How did you even begin to judge that with anything but immediate, painful hope? If Hojo had been the one to say Valentine was dead, if there _had_ been some sort of emotional entanglement… but that was 'if' again. Could they believe the words of this stranger? Did they dare risk _not_ believing him?

He knew too much to ignore. It sounded too plausible to risk it. And he wasn't going to chance Genesis' life, no matter how crazy it sounded - that was a risk he was unwilling to take. But first they had to make it through this, Veld wading through his emotions a moment in silence before he spoke. "Tell me what you know. If I can verify you're telling the truth, I'll consider you a more reputable source."

"Fair enough." Tony let out a quick, sharp breath, clapping his hands together. "Okay so how do you want this? Because things… things went pretty bad for him. It got ugly. And I mean, I can tell you that. I don't know if _he's _gonna tell you that. Or we can even just start with where he is, but uh… you might need to go. And bring a crowbar, because he's pretty fixated on staying put. Like, I'd love to say that Hojo locked him down there but the fact is that if Vincent _wanted_ to leave, he'd be gone. He's just… really traumatized right now. Y'know, the kind you just want to sleep for a while? He took that a little too seriously."

Veld held up a hand to stop him. "Where is he."

"Nibelheim. ShinRa Manor, basement. Locked room, locked coffin, but I'm gonna figure your people can pick locks just fine." This time, Tony stopped himself. The silence while Veld processed _that_ was so heavy it felt like a tangible weight in the room. "I wish I could tell you something better, but it just gets worse from there."

"If it was nice, Mr. Stark, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Veld pointed out quietly. "Go on."

"Right, so the whole thing is that Vincent didn't approve of the Jenova Project. I mean, he seemed to have kept quiet for a bit, but he had some issues with Lucrecia using her baby." Tony paused, wetting his lips with a quick look at Sephiroth. "Might have been his baby, too. There were implications made that that's part of what he's punishing himself for."

"You're saying Vincent Valentine may be… my father?" Sephiroth said carefully, not sure how he felt about that. First he found out his mother wasn't who he thought it was, now his father? It was, admittedly, a step up but still.

"Well, there was a _reason_ Hojo shot him, okay? And I don't think it's just because Vincent came down in a fit of righteous anger over Lucrecia passing out. There was a conversation there, and as bizarre as it is to say Hojo committed a crime of passion… that's kinda what it looks like. Vincent came to him _and_ Lucrecia, initially, trying to talk about stopping the project. Tentatively. But eventually he got really worked up about it, and Hojo did too, and… he got shot."

Veld's pensive expression and lack of denial of the possibility spoke volumes, and Sephiroth let out a slow breath. More to think on, then. "But he's not dead."

"Well he _was,_ but like I said, it didn't stick. Hojo did some experiments, but I'm pretty sure it was Lucrecia who ended up bringing him back." Tony paused, frowning. "I'm not entirely clear on how it worked, but she did something with Chaos - the demi-WEAPON she was studying, I don't know if any of you are familiar. Ironically, also the project _Grimoire_ Valentine was working on, but that's a story for another time. What's important to know is he's got at least one and probably several sentient beings bound to him right now, and it's not something he's taking exceptionally well."

"Not having control over your own body is traumatizing." The other man - Bruce - finally spoke up, a small frown on his lips. "You're going to have trouble convincing him to come back. He sees himself as a danger, too. And he's not wrong."

"Vincent was always dangerous. A different kind isn't enough to chase me off," Veld said.

"Yeah, well, you're going to need that stubbornness if you're going to get him out of his self-imposed confinement," Bruce said. There was something about the way he spoke that made Sephiroth curious. An undertone of understanding that hid a story. "I wish you luck."

"We were partners for eight years; I know a thing or two about handling Valentine in a mood." Veld was watching them both, some of that wary hope buried under his normal composure, but Sephiroth knew it was still there. He hadn't dismissed the possibility, and if he hadn't yet he wasn't going to. "Obviously, I'm going to need to verify this."

"Right, and I'm guessing it's not a quick jaunt over to Nibelheim," Tony said. "I'd go with you. I'd go in a heartbeat, if you say the word, Director. And if I'm lying, you've got me right there to feed to the wolves."

"If you're lying, Mr. Stark, that would be a kindness." Veld's smile was entirely void of warmth, a tight, mirthless thing that promised pain if he was being manipulated.

"But you are going to check," he pressed. "And if I'm right about that…"

"If you're right about Vincent, then I will consider that you could be right about Genesis and Angeal," Veld said. "_If._"

"Hey, no problem, I get it. Sounds crazy." Tony nodded. "But I know this is real. So I'm gonna bank on it."

"Are you going to go yourself?" Sephiroth asked, glancing at Veld.

"Not initially, no. The head of the Turks going out to Nibelheim… that would raise flags," Veld said. "And if he's right, I don't want this on Hojo's radar yet. I've got people I can send."

Sephiroth nodded, understanding. "If there's anything I can do…"

Veld considered that a moment, then glanced back at Tony and Bruce and shook his head. "I'll be taking them with me. You can escort them, if you feel the need."

He felt himself smile, inclining his head. "If you don't mind."

"If you're going to continue the interrogation, I'd just as soon hear what else he has to say myself," Genesis said.

"…that a feeling you two share?" Veld asked, looking to Angeal and Sephiroth.

"We might as well," Angeal said. "It sounds like he has a lot to say."

"I don't think anyone is going to sleep right now," Sephiroth said.

"Fair. Let me step out a moment and have a word with my operatives. I want someone down to Nibelheim as soon as possible." Veld nodded slightly, excusing himself to the other room. It wasn't so far enhanced hearing couldn't pick up the low murmur of his voice - it sounded like he was making arrangements with an operative already on the correct continent. That would speed up the process by far. The sooner they had some idea of if any of this was true, the better.

Veld returned back after a few more moments, tucking his PHS into his pocket. "Now, Mr. Stark... I have some questions for you."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** There was a glitch last post where it didn't send out an alert that CH5 came out, so if you didn't see that one you might want to go back and read it before this chapter!

* * *

Once Veld had returned from his phone call, he returned his attention to Tony. "Now, Mr. Stark. I have some questions for you."

Tony nodded, not surprised to be facing a more formal interrogation - honestly, he'd expected one sooner. "Do you mind if I sit? I get the feeling this might take a while."

"By all means." Veld gestured for him to, pacing over to stand where he had a good view of the two of them. Apparently the SOLDIERs' reactions were of lesser priority for the moment. "I don't suppose the armor comes off?"

"Well, I mean, it does come off but I'm distinctly lacking a place to put it," Tony pointed out. "Not that it's too heavy for you guys to move, exactly, but I'd kinda like to keep an eye on it, you know?"

"Let him keep it," Genesis said, and there was a distinct look of _'It won't make a difference' _in his eyes. Funny, that. Coming from him… he wouldn't make too many bets. These guys had to be up there with Steve and then some, like Thor and Loki. He did _not_ want to get into a fight with these guys, for numerous reasons. Above all else, it would be counterproductive to trying to _save_ them.

"Fair enough." Veld had to have read the same into his expression, and clearly didn't mind it. He took a moment just to look the two of them over in silence before speaking again. "So, let's revisit what you've said so far, just to make sure I've got this straight."

"At your leisure, Director. I live to serve," Tony quipped, sitting down carefully beside Bruce.

"You're from another world," Veld said, waiting for a nod before continuing. "And in your world, you have… games. That chronicle our lives."

"And a movie. But yeah. It picks up like… two months from now, in October," Tony said. "There was a flashback explaining what happened in the training room, so that's how I knew about that."

"What _would_ have happened, as I understand it, was Genesis sustaining an injury that triggers a cancer-like illness you're calling degradation," Veld said. "And that he would defect with Hollander in reaction. Am I correct so far?"

"I still hold to the theory that there's a good chance he's already got the beginnings of it, because that's something really weird to _start_ it - maybe start it manifesting, but not create the problem," Tony said. "But yeah, you're good."

"Mm. And up until shortly before my arrival you believed this was some sort of… simulation you'd set up, to experience these 'games' first person, not that you were actually _here._" It was clear Veld was still having trouble with that part. Which was fair, because Tony was still having trouble with the fact that this _wasn't_ a simulation.

"Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise, not gonna lie," Tony admitted.

"Alright. And you're aware, I presume, of how ridiculous all of this sounds," Veld said.

"Trust me, I am very well aware," Tony said, smiling wryly. "Just a waiting game to prove it to you."

"And if you're right about Vincent, then obviously you will be taken considerably more seriously, but for now I'm not going to do more than err on the side of caution," Veld said.

"No, no I get that, I do. That's fine." Tony shrugged. "Gotta do what you've gotta do. Security is kinda your thing, isn't it? I mean, Heidegger a little bit, but let's face it, he's an idiot. When it really _counts_ it's your people handling it, right?"

"You seem pretty sure of your answer already," Veld said.

"Well, I mean I have _theories,_ sure, but it was never explicitly stated, and 'Public Safety' is kind've ambiguous," Tony said. "Like, does it mean he takes care of the public's safety? Midgar in general? Or is it more like, the civilians in the company? Or I mean, both could work. Eventually you see a thing where one of his people is in charge of cameras, but at that point he'd taken over the Turks so I really don't think it's a good way to measure things."

"_Heidegger_, in charge of the _Turks,_" Genesis repeated, incredulous.

"I take it I'm involved in the 'everyone dies' scenario," Veld said quietly.

It said something, Tony thought, that the only way the director could find this a plausible situation was that he had been taken out of the picture entirely. "Well, kinda. You were ah… It was complicated. But Tseng helped you fake your death and…"

And _oh shit,_ he'd forgotten that little tidbit about the head of AVALANCHE being his daughter. That was a thing.

It must have shown on his face, because Veld zeroed in on his pause immediately. "Remember something else?"

"Yeah, actually… yeah. Hm." Knowing this wasn't a simulation changed the rules; he never would have approached the whole thing the way he did if he'd known he was talking to real people. Which meant some kind of diplomacy, now. _Better late than never. _"So, quick question here - is AVALANCHE a problem yet?"

"I'd say that's classified information, but given the circumstances, I suppose a 'yes' will do." Veld didn't quite look amused, but there was a gleam in his eyes. "They've been an increasing problem."

"Right, okay. So. There is no delicate way to tell you this and I'm pretty sure this is going to go over about as well or worse than me telling you about Vincent," Tony warned.

"Duly noted," Veld said mildly. "Continue."

"Right. So… I don't know how big they are now, or where they are in their development as an organization, but eventually you've got three leaders, so to speak: Fuhito, their Hojo fanboy scientist; Shears, their former gang leader tough guy; and Elfé, their SOLDIER-grade sword wielding leader. Any of those names ring a bell, or do I need to start there?" Tony asked.

"I'd be interested in hearing how much you know," Veld said. "Start at the beginning. We've got time."

"Well I mean, I don't know everything. They were the bad guys, the bad guys don't get a whole lot of fleshing out most of the time. That risks people sympathizing with them, rooting for the 'wrong' side and all - not that that _stops_ people, exactly, but it might minimize it? A little. Maybe. Hard to say, people are weird." Tony waved a hand. "I'm digressing. So, Fuhito found Elfé when she was probably just a kid, and they hooked up in Cosmo Canyon where they studied under Bugenhagen a while.

"All this stuff they're up to now? Fuhito's the real brains behind it. He's sold her a line, and she's bought it, this… help the planet extremist stuff. And Shears comes in when they got to Midgar. Had a gang he ran here, but she beat up enough of his guys that he went all starry eyed and swore to follow her with the rest of them, or something."

"Or something?" Veld prompted.

"Look, that's just… not how I operate. At _all._ So if someone says that having their friends beat up makes them want to join up with somebody else, I've gotta take their word for it." Tony shrugged, silent a moment. He still couldn't think of any _good_ way to say this. There just… wasn't.

"Did you have a _point?_" Genesis asked. "Not that this isn't all very interesting, I'm sure, but I question the relevance."

"Yeah, I know, origin stories are not always riveting." He sighed, watching Veld. "Of course, I don't know all the real origin stories. The only one that really got that was Elfé. And that's where things get… ugly."

"Oh god, wasn't she…?" Bruce looked at him, apparently having a sudden realization of his own. "_Tony._"

"I can't not-say!" He protested.

"No, I mean… I'm not telling you not to say but…" Bruce shook his head, sighing. "Wow. Okay. Yeah, you need to."

"Of course I need to, I was getting there!" Tony straightened a little, looking back to Veld. "I don't know what the terrain is like between Nibelheim and Cosmo Canyon, or how a little girl could get very far, but apparently she did. She was another project-"

"Victim," Bruce corrected quietly. "She was another victim of Hojo's."

"Alright, victim, yeah." Tony sighed. "Yeah, Malcom said it best - 'Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they _could_, they didn't stop to think if they _should._'"

"Ironic, given how you got here," Genesis said.

"I'm not entirely sure that was a mistake, so much as a very fortunate surprise," Tony disagreed, eyes still on Veld. His posture was loose, casual, but he didn't doubt that he could be trigger-tight in a flash. And this was going to pull that trigger. "I can tell you what I know about what was done to her, but a lot of it is conjecture. What I _can_ tell you is this - she was in Nibelheim as one of the survivors of the Kalm bombing. And her name isn't really Elfé. It's Felicia."

"_Felicia_," Veld repeated, whisper soft.

It was clear he'd put it together, and there was dawning comprehension on Sephiroth's face, but for the others he elaborated.

"Yeah… your daughter."


End file.
